LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After exiting the court to thunderous applause, senior guard Rusty Troutman stood at the end of the Bellarmine University men's basketball team's bench, glanced to the left toward an adoring fan base, raised his arms and ever so briefly broke into a double-biceps pose.

This scene at Knights Hall on Tuesday night may have been short, but it was fitting. In the Midwest Region finals, with a berth in the Elite Eight of the DII NCAA Tournament on the line, Troutman and the Knights flexed their muscle.

A first half that featured some breathtaking shooting by both top-seeded Bellarmine and sixth-seeded Findlay gave way to a second half in which the second-ranked Knights asserted themselves on both ends, the result of which was a decisive 84-66 victory that secured Bellarmine's fourth Midwest Region championship since 2011.

"They're never going to forget what they're doing right now," Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport said in his postgame press conference, referring to the ongoing celebration on the court. "These are incredible, incredible young men. They're all that's right about college athletics."
 

With a sold-out Knights Hall rocking, Bellarmine extended its home winning streak to 44 games. Troutman was named Most Outstanding Player of the regional after scoring a game-high 26 points with six rebounds and three assists in the title game for Bellarmine (31-3), which has won 18-straight games and added another regional championship to the ones captured in 2011, 2012 and 2015.

In addition to Troutman, senior guard Al Davis and sophomore forward Adam Eberhard were named to the All-Tournament team. Against Findlay (25-7), Davis racked up 21 points behind four 3-pointers and added four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Eberhard had nine points, nine rebounds and four assists.

In his two years at Bellarmine, Davis has never experienced a loss at Knights Hall. He's 31-0 on his home turf and capped it with a shining moment.

"That's crazy, but I don't even want to think about it. I want to celebrate with my teammates because it's not about me, it's about all these people," Davis said, waving his hand around the entirety of Knights Hall during a jubilant celebration.

Troutman scored 27 points against Wisconsin-Parkside in the regional quarterfinals, 27 against Quincy in the semifinals and followed with 26 more against Findlay. He swept game-high honors.

"I got hot. That's all I can say," Troutman said. "It's a really good feeling, and I'm glad I turned it on at the right time. I just want to cherish this moment with my teammates."

"He's a big brother to me, and he does what it takes to win," Eberhard said of Troutman. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And he's a tough son of a gun."

The first half featured some electric offense. Inside the first seven minutes, both teams buried five 3-pointers. The final one, by Bellarmine junior guard Jarek Coles, gave the Knights a lead at 23-21 that they would never relinquish. A 3-pointer by junior guard Tyler Jenkins pushed the advantage to 10, but Findlay rallied to cut its deficit to 41-39 at halftime.

"We were locked in, but I give Findlay a lot of credit," Davenport said. "They made tough shots. They came out like a great basketball team comes out."

For much of the season, Bellarmine tended to struggle at the start of second halves. However, the Knights have bucked that trend of late, as the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament champions continued their strong play after the intermission in the Midwest Regional final against Findlay. Inside the first five minutes, Bellarmine ripped off a 14-2 run where the Knights got layups from Eberhard, senior forward George Knott and a pair from Jenkins, the latter on a fast-break feed from Troutman that resulted in a 55-43 lead.

Findlay never recovered from that surge, as Bellarmine's lead never dipped below 10. Troutman's 3-pointer pushed the advantage to 16 with 12:51 left. When the Oilers pushed back within 11 with 5:45 left, Coles nailed a 3-pointer under pressure that was the final dagger. Eberhard dropped the ball off to Troutman for a beautiful backdoor layup with roughly two minutes remaining that put a bow on the victory.

"We made runs, they made runs. We had to stick together," Davis said. "The biggest thing was who was going to stay together, and all 14 of our guys stayed together and it showed on the court."

Bellarmine shot an eye-popping 60.9 percent in the second half and limited Findlay to 31.3 percent, including 16.7 percent (2 for 12) from 3-point range. Behind a combined seven trifectas from Davis and Troutman, the Knights sank 13 from deep for the game. They also shot 82.6 percent (19 for 23) from the charity stripe, led by Troutman's 9-for-10 outing.

"We have so many weapons," Troutman said. "Everybody contributes. It goes from the top to the bottom."

As Davenport pointed out, Findlay scored 21 points inside the first five minutes and registered 27 the entire second half.

"We were able to control them and their 3-point shooting in the second half," Eberhard said. "When they did miss, we corralled the rebounds and that started our fast-break and opened things up for us offensively."

At his press conference, Davenport was asked what he'd remember most about his current team.

His face breaking into a smile, Davenport responded, "The story's not over yet."

Indeed, the narrative will conclude at the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights), Facebook (BUKnights) and the BUKnights mobile app available for iPhone and Android.

BOX SCORE (HTM)